Monday, August 31, 2009

Just going to squeeze in a quick post before August comes to an end! Yes I've been neglecting the blog a bit, I have had good intentions of getting a new post up for the last couple of weeks, but this and that have kept me from it.

I have been out spinning in the sunshine a little bit, here I am at the Winchelsea Féte with the 1066 Spinners. An enjoyable Saturday afternoon, and they brought us fabulous tea and cakes!

I have been doing a little bit of spinning, not a huge amount but these have been finished off recently while I was waiting for the loom to be fixed (yes it is fixed now, and another scarf has been and gone, I would show you photos but its very like the first scarf as I decided to make another one with the leftovers)

Both Bluefaced Leicester, I was spinning the first one with 'masculine' woven scarves in mind, although I have some more merino/angora (which I finished spinning last week) to go on the loom first! The second one is a braid I started spindle spinning at Woolfest, I got impatient and finished it off on the wheel.

On the knitting front my Swallowtail just needs a little quiet time, I've also started a Heartland Lace Shawl with some overcooked handspun alpaca you may get to see soon.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Gosh golly and darn it, I was happily weaving away on the scarf, firstly after the last photo and a little advice from the 'ashford loomies' on Ravelry, it was apparant that going on the way I was my scarf wouldn't have had the right sort of drape....my gauge was too tight, so I unwove it (not as much fun as frogging), and started again.

Then last Saturday I took the loom off its stand, folded it and took it to a Spinning Group and when I got there the right shed block that holds the heddle was just turning when it should be rigid, and the plastic handle had threaded onto the bolt that holds it. Anyway I got home rung my dealer who arranged to send me a new block, and I wedged it in place so I could at least finish the scarf.

As you can see it's all done, even finishing the thing left me with a dilemma, a wash fluffed up the threads a little, but not enough, I did a bit of walking on it in the bath....nothing happened! I then gave it a 10 minute wash in the machine, which only managed to almost felt and entangle my extra long fringe (seemed a shame to cut it off) together.

So I rescued the fringe, and then ting....just gave it a good rub and soaping to hand full it a little, and ta da:

It is done! The block came today for the loom, unfortunately it's the left block when I need the right.....deep breaths.